I’m back in Osaka after an incredible month of traveling throughout Japan. My friends and I snowboarded in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, surfed in Kanazawa on the northern Sea of Japan, and made unforgettable memories in Tokyo.

Along the way, I had experiences which can only be described as fate.

These experiences derived from boldness and, without a doubt, burned brightly in love.

Even though they seemed extraordinarily serendipitous, I have to believe it’s the decisions I’ve made that led me to them.

The universe whispers: just keep going. 

The decision’s never perfectly clear. But I believe throughout our lives, in the big acts and the small, we choose love, or fear.

Fear will try to scare us. It’ll tell us to be quiet when we long to speak, to stay where we are when we dream of moving, to continue as things are.

Trust me, I don’t always follow my heart, take the bold chance or know exactly what I’m doing.

I have those moments of regret where I wish I acted just as much as anybody. But more often than not, in the moments when it’s counted, I’ve chosen love.

Love takes risks.

Choosing love — love for ourselves, which shines through in trusting our intuition; love for others, which is possible in every interaction and experience, regardless of if it’s reciprocated; and love for life, which means nothing more than appreciating the gift of every day — will clear the fog from our eyes, no matter how lost we may feel.

By chance, I met Adrian Bianco , creative director and editor-in-chief of Tokyo-based magazine Sabukaru .

I came across his magazine years ago and his website played a significant role in my initial life-changing trip to Japan.

On that trip, I realized it was my dream to live a life like his.

When out in Tokyo, I met Adrian at a small club where his friend was performing. I ran into the single human being out of the nearly 14 million in Tokyo, who, three years ago, ignited the initial flame in me to leap into the void, trust that I have what it takes to be a writer, and ultimately move to Japan.

Several stars had to align for us to go to this place.

What makes me believe it all happened for a reason is that the night before, I saw somebody at a sushi restaurant wearing a Sabukaru shirt.

I approached his table and told them my story. It’s a niche brand, so my knowing it surprised them.

The next night I met the man himself. These two experiences, on the surface, were unrelated. But there must be a greater force at play.

This encounter told me that, irrespective if I know where my path is heading, I’m on a path, my path.

Love keeps me going through the darkness. It’s why I write these words.

It’s love that makes the sun rise and love which makes the night fall.

It’s love which I feel for this world, and that which I’m on this journey to express.

It’s why I’m likely on the other side of the world from where you read this, and why I’ll never stop moving forward, no matter how difficult it gets.

Adrian had a posse huddled around him at the bar, waiting for his words of wisdom.

Be good to the people in your five meter radius, he said with a smile. Choose love. That’s really all we can control.

I didn’t pour out my heart and tell him all of this; I didn’t tell him he was, honestly, the reason I’m here.

Rather, I marveled at the moment, wore a big ol’ smile, and enjoyed the moment as a friend.

Our paths will cross again, of that I’m sure. It’s love, man. Choosing love in this life, we’ll get to where we’re meant to go.